Jack painfully rolled into a sitting position, clutching his head to sooth the throbbing brain within. Trying to become aware of the surrounding area, he opened one eye and glanced around warily. Then again in confusion. The dark-eyed boy’s other eye flicked open, but only for an instant before a wave of nausea overwhelmed his senses and he was forced to pause momentarily to regain control.

From what Jack had seen, the surrounding room was very well-furnished and expertly decorated. Though each object was barely more than a blob of colors and textures, he still found it comfortable and peaceful. The boy reclined, inhaling deeply as his thoughts began to clear. He was certain that memories would come if his mind just had a moment to-

(Don’t go back to sleep, dammit!)

“Fuck!”

A frustrated shout rang throughout the recovering demigod’s mind, nearly causing him to flip out of the soft bed and onto a far less welcoming floor.

(You don’t get to sleep! You almost exhausted yourself to death right after a major magical upgrade thingy, so you can rest, but don’t you dare sleep!)

“Please stop yelling…”

Jack’s reply was barely intelligible as his hand drunkenly waved back and forth to fend off the pissed spirit’s voice. Fortunately, his request was heard, and Ellis calmed down.

(I-I thought… I was going t-to lose you… I thought we were going to die while you were asleep.)

The boy peeked through his stupor, just barely able to make out the goddess’s slender frame hugging tightly against him. Her body made an indent in the silky blue covers, though just barely enough to notice. With every improvement, Ellis’s being would solidify even more. Jack already knew this, but it was still nice to see the actual results and know that she was not beyond saving.

“It’s about time.”

Fae’s confident voice hummed from a nearby doorway, though something about this tone made the boy uncomfortable. Jack’s mind instantly jumped to Jenny and Val, causing his heart to beat heavily and nearly drag him out of bed on its own.

(Take it easy, Jack. The others are on the ship too. Everything’s fine now… you saved everyone.)

His muscles relaxed and the stress he’d felt so intensely finally melted away. The chaotic thoughts spinning through the dark-eyed boy’s head gradually began to submit to his external senses, and he could once again feel the magic’s flow. Based on what Ellis said, they were most likely on Fae’s ship, unless someone else was secretly hiding a spaceship.

‘I don’t know… I’ll bet Val could build one. Then again, Jenny always acted like she was from another world… at this point it’s anyone guess.’

Jack thought to himself, chuckling silently at his own dry sense of humor. After this, it barely took a minute before Jack was sitting upright on the bed, fully clothed in a magically synthesized pair of jeans and light black jacket. He scanned the room’s various structures, finding it to be both aesthetically pleasing and a practical use of space. Chairs, dressers, and even a kitchenette made it seem more like an apartment than a guest room.

“She’s right. Claiming Terra? In any other circumstance, that would’ve been extreme overkill but because it was either that or a planet-wide suicide, I think you made a good decision. Well done, you’ve ethically dominated your world. Well, semi-ethically, which is still impressive.”

(That’s because Jack listens to me. I’m the backseat driver of this demigod!)

Jack paused, following the cat-alien’s eyes to Ellis, then back again in confusion. It would seem the love goddess has gained enough power to be seen and interact with others. The boy almost laughed at her factually enhanced retelling of his thoughts during the fight down on Earth, feeling lighter than air now that nothing was left to trouble him.

(I can still hear your thoughts, moron. ‘Your problems aren’t gone; they’ve only been redirected’ according to those adorable widdle cat ears over there.)

He looked over at Fae, who shifted uncomfortably at the goddess’s words and the gestures accompanying them. That girl’s ability to make anyone uncomfortable really is a gift. Jack placed his hand on the mattress, softly pushing against the smooth sheets as he easily assumed his full height. The aspiring god stretched, enjoying the rare moment of silence before once again preparing to face the storm ahead.

Jack’s advanced cognitive abilities allow him to process events with greater efficiently and almost eliminate the time required to move past such stressful events. Normally, he would have to hide away for a couple of days after draining experiences like the past few weeks but right now the boy felt ready to take on whatever problem arose.

“I was contacted by Jerle, a data analyst for a powerful Megalo ruler, who informed me that I have been fired. The monarch witnessed your power and has decided to come after you himself. I thought it was only fair to warn you... I-I can offer transportation, but I doubt you’ll elude him for very long.”

Jack paused, silently weighing his options for a moment before responding.

“I assume negotiation is off the table.”

Fae nodded slowly.

“…and running away would only put you, Val, and Jenny in more danger…”

The cat-person gave no response, answering his question with silence. Jack sighed and shook his head.

“Then meeting him in person would seem to be the most reasonable option…”

Jack stepped towards Fae, who adopted a bewildered expression and shook her head to signify disapproval.

“You know he’ll-“

“-He sent you to collect my arm, right?”

The boy interrupted, displaying a softly pulsating limb. The air seemed to warp around its surface, subject to the powerful magic it conducted. Nothing else in the entire universe had both magical and mechanical abilities mixed together, making Jack’s left arm priceless.

“I’ll find some way to take it off and give it to him. Val’s the one who made it, so she might have some ideas. I do feel bad about ditching something she gave me, though…”

The alien stared with saucer-sized eyes as the creature before her thoughtfully rubbed the wrist of his artificial appendage. He talked about the arm as if it was nothing but a small trinket he carried around for good luck and barely resisted the thought of abandoning it. Unfortunately, Fae had already tried to remove it and discovered that the machine had already become a part of his being. Removing it would be no different from a surgical procedure.

The demigod noticed the cat-woman’s frozen expression, then smiled reassuringly.

“If it’s really stuck, we can probably just cut it off at the elbow. That should keep most of the vital pieces together.”

Fae’s expression softened, her argument half-defeated by the lighthearted comments, but not entirely gone. Jack’s overall demeanor was different, though he didn’t exactly change. His strength had become almost passive; a natural ability instead of some bestowed power that could only be summoned with conscious effort. She found it… charming. The alien paused at this revelation, then promptly blinked away the distracting thoughts to resume her protest.

“You’re going to die if you won’t stand up for yourself. I can’t even begin to describe how dangerous some of these beings are, and now that you have something they want…”

Fae trailed off, realizing from Jack’s expression that further explanation would be unnecessary and possibly even counterproductive. She sighed, leaning heavily on the sturdy doorframe as if trying to rephrase her words to better convey the situation’s urgency. It didn’t take very long.

“I’m not just talking about your arm.”

The woman looked over at Ellis, who’d lost interest in the conversation a while ago and was currently playing around with a fine thread of magic. The demigod looked over, momentarily distracted by the goddess’s new ability.

A few seconds passed before Jack returned to his senses and replied, once again studying the appendage’s believable surface.

“This is just an arm. It may not be preferable, but I can live without it.”

He looked up, allowing a different expression to soften his dark eyes as they settled on the goddess who was meticulously trying to weave a magic cloth.

“Some things aren’t worth fighting over. I’m sure you understand that my life isn’t the only one risked in these confrontations, so I won’t delve into a pointless monologue. I’m sure Val would be fine with making another arm, or perhaps I’ll just grow a new one myself.”

Jack chuckled and glanced back at Fae, but the humorless eyes she bore cut his laughter short. He briefly second-guessed his own regenerative abilities, realizing that such a feat was likely within his grasp.

Fae mumbled inaudibly, then pushed off the doorframe to assume a less comfortable upright position. A black tail carried the hem of her deep blue cloth skirt as it waved independently behind the two black ears and long dark hair which shifted with every slight movement. Two beautiful purple orbs caught the soft light, glancing with a barely perceptible emotional glaze toward the boy who had so thoroughly captured their attention. With a notable amount of effort, she turned away and swiftly exited the room.

“That was a bad joke…”

A rueful curve briefly appeared in Jack’s smile but vanished when a pillow was hurled with significant force at his face. The collision was entirely unexpected, and the sheer amount of power behind it would’ve probably killed a normal human being.

(Hu hu hu… I can throw pillows at Jack now.)

Ellis’s voice was overflowing with mischief as the dark-eyed humanoid looked back, amused and worried that such an easily avoidable attack landed. However, he was prepared when the second puffy object came, this time moving so fast it exploded mid-air and showered him with some unrecognizable pink fluff.

A goddess stood behind the disintegrating wall of pillow entrails, acting as if she was unaware of the current situation. Although, an incriminating rope of light pink magic explored the area, flipping the covers repeatedly as Ellis masterfully controlled its movements with her mind. Jack was impressed at how easily she applied such complex movements. He paused, again realizing that her magic doesn’t belong to him. This was a gift that came with a great cost.

A king-sized mattress exploded on the demigod’s frontside, pulling him out of his musings.

(Stop brooding! I’m running out of things to throw!)

Jack smiled, brushing a few stray bits of unrecognizable material from his shoulder and glancing back at a dark grey wall which had been nearly beaten through. If he’d decided to dodge the mattress, it would’ve most likely made a hole larger than himself. He returned his gaze to a wide-eyed goddess who was just noticing the damaged room.

(Oops.)

“No kidding.”

An all-too familiar voice responded to Ellis’s embarrassed cry as Jenny appeared in the doorway, her sapphire-blue eyes more brilliant than ever. Val trailed along behind her, examining the damaged structure with a neutral gaze before looking suspiciously towards the goddess, who responded with a nervous laugh.

(I… um…)

“It’s fine, I’m sure Fae won’t care. I’ll help clean up the mess later.”

Jack spoke, casually reassuring Ellis while Jenny’s expression gradually changed, adopting a more threatening appearance. The boy leaned back slightly, habitually assuming a less relaxed position as the tension increased rapidly.

“How sweet; you two are already familiar. Although, I don’t believe Jack has introduced us yet.”

Her words alone seemed to be directed towards Ellis, but Jenny’s eyes never once left Jack. The boy exhaled, gratefully accepting the escape she offered while nervously looking back at the goddess but froze upon recognizing the situation. He saw two concerningly defiant orbs burning straight past him, challenging the human’s inescapable blue eyes.

Jack tried to back slowly away, but Jenny stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his torso and restricted any evasive movements. Ellis was suddenly flustered, glancing around in a desperate attempt to one-up her enemy in this ‘social duel’, though she didn’t have much to work with. He decided it was probably better to let this event run its course.

(Jack said he’d mate with me when I manifest.)

Jack decided it was probably better to escape before this event runs its course. Unfortunately, Jenny’s grip tightened, her eyes now directed towards him in response to Ellis’s words. A malicious smile curved the girl’s lips as her thoughts ignited with various befitting reactions, then pressed her cheek tightly against his shoulder and let out a calm sigh. The surprised boy had braced for a charming rant cleverly laced with psychological torture and passive-aggressive references but received a mature dismissal. At this rate he might be able to give context to the situation, though such a conversation would likely do more harm than good.

Relaxed, Jack lifted his free arm and gently brushed the silent girl’s soft brown hair, remembering yet again why he’d fallen so completely for her.

“I suppose I’ll have to take his virginity before you manifest, then.”

The air became like ice in which even sound was frozen. While Jack’s expression didn’t change, his hand retracted with no small amount of discomfort. This was the reaction he’d expected to hear, but the boy still had no idea what to do in response. Despite his feelings, Jenny didn’t advance or retreat, acting as if nothing had changed but the demigod ventured to guess she bore a sadistic expression.

A slightly shorter hand caught his idle left arm as Val curiously scanned the artificial appendage, clearly oblivious to her surroundings. Silence persisted, but the silver-haired girl payed it no mind and simply continued to work as if lost in her own separate reality for several minutes.

Jack stood, patiently awaiting any change in topic or explosion to set him free until a faint rumble caught his attention. It was different than the consistent hum that softly radiated from the ship’s engines, which was fairly concerning. The boy shifted, prompting Jenny to lift her head with a questioning gaze.

(Hey… Jack?)

Jack turned towards Ellis, who smiled nervously as the sound of warping metal and shattering glass became gradually more distinct.

(Do you remember when I told you about the angel?)